Loop, Hargrove roads projects move forward

Committee recommends $2.6 million for work

Published: Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 11:19 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | A City Council committee on Tuesday voted to recommend the full council’s approval of almost $2.6 million for two road projects.

Most of the funding for the projects on Loop and Hargrove roads will come from state appropriations through the 2012 Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program.

Specifically, $1.7 million — or 80 percent — of the $2.2 million total Loop Road project is coming through the program dollars. The remaining 20 percent, equal to $440,286, will be covered with local matching funds. While the city initially requested 50 percent funding for the work, the grant award came in at 80 percent funding.

Utility relocation for the project is under way after the city’s completion in September of the necessary property acquisitions.

The work will widen Loop Road from Fairmont Drive to Woodland Road, smooth out some of the curves along that stretch and add a sidewalk to the road’s south side.

Another part of the project is the addition of an underground pipe network and other upgrades to improve stormwater drainage, which that section of the road lacks.

Additionally, this work is separate from the 2013 Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program grants announced Monday. These awards will add improvements to Hargrove Road and Hackberry Lane for a total of $3.5 million and to a large stretch of 10th Avenue corridor for a total of $6.8 million.

City Hall is responsible for 20 percent of the total cost for each 2013 project.

“Overall, I think this is going to be a real good opportunity for the city,” said Mayor Walt Maddox of the 2013 awards.

For the Hargrove Road project that was approved by the Public Projects Committee on Tuesday, this work will re-align the road’s intersections with Prince and First avenues to create less of a traffic hazard.

The realignment of the intersections was laid out in the Tuscaloosa Forward Generational Master Plan, unanimously approved by the City Council in April after months of public input.

The Generational Master Plan was developed as a means to implement the vision and direction of the Tuscaloosa Forward Strategic Rebuilding Plan that also was crafted with input from city residents and business owners.

Within the Generational Master Plan are detailed ways to overhaul parks, improve public access to technology and install a recreational walking trail throughout the tornado recovery zone.

Officials have said its full implementation will take decades — or generations — and require the use of public and private dollars.

Plans for the Loop Road project date back even further, to 2006, with the most recently finished phase — the stretch from Hargrove Road to Fairmont Drive — completed more than two years ago.

The city attempted to acquire rights of way for the final stage since that time, but some owners declined the purchase offers, based on current appraisals and fair market value.

However, the City Council moved to acquire the remaining properties in June through its eminent domain powers after the 2012 Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program grant awards were announced. This grant came with time restrictions that required officials to accelerate the land acquisition timetable.

After the city’s Office of the City Engineer excised plans for a traffic circle from Loop Road’s final phase, which required less land from nearby land owners, the eminent domain process was settled out of court.

A vote of the City Council on Sept. 18 completed the land acquisition agreements with all remaining land owners.

<p>TUSCALOOSA | A City Council committee on Tuesday voted to recommend the full council's approval of almost $2.6 million for two road projects.</p><p>Most of the funding for the projects on Loop and Hargrove roads will come from state appropriations through the 2012 Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program.</p><p>Specifically, $1.7 million — or 80 percent — of the $2.2 million total Loop Road project is coming through the program dollars. The remaining 20 percent, equal to $440,286, will be covered with local matching funds. While the city initially requested 50 percent funding for the work, the grant award came in at 80 percent funding.</p><p>Utility relocation for the project is under way after the city's completion in September of the necessary property acquisitions.</p><p>The work will widen Loop Road from Fairmont Drive to Woodland Road, smooth out some of the curves along that stretch and add a sidewalk to the road's south side.</p><p>Another part of the project is the addition of an underground pipe network and other upgrades to improve stormwater drainage, which that section of the road lacks.</p><p>Additionally, this work is separate from the 2013 Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program grants announced Monday. These awards will add improvements to Hargrove Road and Hackberry Lane for a total of $3.5 million and to a large stretch of 10th Avenue corridor for a total of $6.8 million.</p><p>City Hall is responsible for 20 percent of the total cost for each 2013 project.</p><p>“Overall, I think this is going to be a real good opportunity for the city,” said Mayor Walt Maddox of the 2013 awards.</p><p>For the Hargrove Road project that was approved by the Public Projects Committee on Tuesday, this work will re-align the road's intersections with Prince and First avenues to create less of a traffic hazard.</p><p>City reserve money will cover the $398,702 construction contract with low bidder Price Construction Co. of Cottondale.</p><p>The realignment of the intersections was laid out in the Tuscaloosa Forward Generational Master Plan, unanimously approved by the City Council in April after months of public input.</p><p>The Generational Master Plan was developed as a means to implement the vision and direction of the Tuscaloosa Forward Strategic Rebuilding Plan that also was crafted with input from city residents and business owners.</p><p>Within the Generational Master Plan are detailed ways to overhaul parks, improve public access to technology and install a recreational walking trail throughout the tornado recovery zone.</p><p>Officials have said its full implementation will take decades — or generations — and require the use of public and private dollars. </p><p>Plans for the Loop Road project date back even further, to 2006, with the most recently finished phase — the stretch from Hargrove Road to Fairmont Drive — completed more than two years ago.</p><p>The city attempted to acquire rights of way for the final stage since that time, but some owners declined the purchase offers, based on current appraisals and fair market value.</p><p>However, the City Council moved to acquire the remaining properties in June through its eminent domain powers after the 2012 Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program grant awards were announced. This grant came with time restrictions that required officials to accelerate the land acquisition timetable.</p><p>After the city's Office of the City Engineer excised plans for a traffic circle from Loop Road's final phase, which required less land from nearby land owners, the eminent domain process was settled out of court.</p><p>A vote of the City Council on Sept. 18 completed the land acquisition agreements with all remaining land owners.</p>